Since 2007, Smash Bros. has been a staple at EVO, the Evolution Championship gaming tournament, but this weekend we learned that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate won’t return to the competition in 2022. While this wasn’t a big surprise to those in the know, due to movements in the latter part of last year, it’s still a big deal for competition to lose such a popular title.
However, Smash leaving EVO doesn’t mean there won’t be any competitive wavedashing and edgeguarding this year. Last November, Panda Global told fans that it would launch the first official Smash Bros. circuit in the U.S, with more frequent competitions and prizes. With this news, it was only a matter of time until EVO had to let the format go, presumably due to exclusivity issues, so fans and competitors were anticipating some sort of announcement.
While Smash has been a part of the EVO lineup for over ten years, the game really came into its own in a competitive format with the release of the latest title, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. So while it’s a shame that EVO is losing such a big name, and a part of their history, the future of competitive Smash Bros. still looks as promising as a two-stock lead.
One thing we do know about the future of Smash Bros., outside of its competitive format, is that we shouldn’t expect any new challengers anytime soon. Famed developer Masahiro Sakurai revealed in an interview late last year that we shouldn’t anticipate anything more from himself, or the Smash series. Still, with the roster bigger than it’s ever been, we think we have more than enough to go off for now.
We are proud to announce our partnership with @NintendoAmerica
In 2022 Panda will bring the first officially licensed circuit for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Super Smash Bros. Melee to North America.
More details for this short series of events with cash prizes coming later. pic.twitter.com/9PdW9ntfd6
— Panda (@PandaGlobal) November 18, 2021
That’s all we know about the future of competitive Smash Bros. as it stands, but with the announcement made, you can expect some news from Panda on the rollout of their own Smash circuit, so watch this space. If you think the new format is the perfect time to get in on Nintendo’s multiplayer mayhem fighter, be sure to check out our Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tier list to see our picks for the best KO contenders.